Showcase and counter-guard construction



@muted May 24,1921.

c. ZIEFEL ,ANB am. mmm

SHOWCASE AND QUNER (5U/NED CONS'E'RUCTN.

-APPVLLGTION FSLED FEB. 3. i920.

C. ZIEFEL AND K. J. GLOtKLtH.

SHOWCASE AND COUNTER GUARD CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION' FILED FEB. 3, 1920y C. ZIEFEL AND K. l. GLOEKLER.

SHOWCASE AND COUNTER GUARD CONSTRUCTION.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1920.

f 1,379,554. Patented May 24,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

MVW

@HQE

l SHOWCASE-AND COUNTER-GUARD CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentea May 524, rear.

Application led February 3, 1920. Serial No. 355,937.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that we, `@immens ZIEFEL and KARL J. GLonKLER, citizens of the United States, residing' at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Showcase and Counter-Guard Constructions, of which the followingv is a speciiication.

One object of our present joint invention -is the provision of an economical show-case l'construction embodying glass plates and brackets to grasp the glass rmly without entailing the provision of drilled or other .holes in the glass which mig t tend to weaken the glass and cause the same to break in use.

y Another obj ect is the provision of a showcase construction Idesigned more especially for the display of fresh meats, and having its elements so relatively arranged that the show-case is rendered stilil and strong-without detracting materially from its transparent display capacity-c'. c., its adaptability tQdisplay fresh meats to advantage, while precluding the handling of the meats and protecting the same against ilies and the deleterious action of air such as generally prevails in stores.

Another vobject is the provision of improved corner brackets of metal for incorporation in a show-case construction or counter-guard construction7 and in which the major portion of the case or guard is formed of plates ofglass. Y

Another .object is the provision of an improved intermediate bracket of metal for embodimentin a show-case or counter-guard construction.

To the` attainment of the foregoing, the inventionconsistsin the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part-hereof:

' Figure l is a perspective showing a show- A .case construction embodying our invention.

. vFig. 2 is adetail horizontal section through one front corner of the case.

. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section through the intermediate bracket and the adjoining glass plates ot the case. l IFig. 4C comprises'disconnected perspectives of the members comprised in each cornerbracket.

Fig. 5 comprises disconnected perspectives of the members or" intermediate bracket.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the head on the 'body member of one 4corner bracket..

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section `taken through s aid head, looking downwardly.

ig. 8 is a vertical section taken through the intermediate bracket when in use.

Fig. 9 is a Vertical section taken through one of the corner brackets when in use.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding the drawings.

Vhile our improvement is designed primarily for incorporation in a show-case for use on counters or other supports, it will be understood from the following description that some of the elements of the improvevment are adapted to be used in combination and to advantage. in what is commonly known asa counter-guard.

ln the construction illustrated, is included a counter l which, per se, may be of any approved construction, and arranged in superimposed relation on the counter l is a show-case that comprises a base 2, preterably wood, and a casing 3, also preferably ot wood, on the rear portion of the base 2, and adaptedtocontain any approved air-cooling or refrigerating means, generally indicated by 4. The show-case also includes end frames 5 of wood, an upper rear open-work frame 6, also preferably of wood, slidable closure sashes 7 complementary to the frame Gand. each carrying a pane or plate of glass S, a bottom plate 9, preferably of opalite white glass, a top transparent glass plate l0, end transparent glass plates ll and iront transparent glass plates l2, together with a metallic board strip 13 arranged on the Abottom plate 9, metallic corner brackets 14 and an intermediate metallic bracket l5. The bottom plate 9, the end vplates ll and the front plates l2 are by prei.- erence slidably arranged in the manner illustrated, and the corner brackets 14 let and the intermediate bracket l5 are preferably of aluminum or some suitable metallic parts in all of the views of alloy, so that said brackets will not be un- Y upon the upper edges of the end plates 11 and the front plates 12, and all of the exposed edges of glass are preferably ground and polished to contribute to the finished appearance of the case.

Each of the corner brackets 14 comprises a body member 2O and a glass clamping or retaining member 21. The body member is of angular form in horizontal section, and on the upper end of said body member is an integral head 22 of general triangular form in plan. The said head 22 is hollowr and has a bottom wall 23 on which is supported one corner of the top plate 10, the said corner being interposed horizontally between the said bottom 23 and the top wall of the head, and being strongly held and protected by the head which extends laterally outward from the body member, and is therefore adapted to serve as a projecting fender. In the body member 20 are integral lugs 24, and carried by and projecting from said lugs 24 are threaded bolts 25,equipped with nuts 26. The glass clamping or retaining member 21 is apertured to receive the bolts 25, is beveled as indicated at 27, and is preferably of a length slightly less than that of the body member 2O from the bottom 23 of the head to the lower end of the said member 20. By virtue of this construction of the corner brackets 14, it will be readily understood that the said corner brackets are adapted to receive the front corners of the top plate 10 in their heads 22, and are also adapted to receive in their body members 2O the contiguous ends of the end plates 11 and the front plate 12; the latter plates abutting against the lugs 24 and being clamped or held in their proper relative positions by the. plates 21, and this in such manner that the glass plates 11 and 12 are held in iixed relation, and without the necessity of providing apertures of any description in the said plates 11 and 12, which is manifestly a material advantage.

The intermediate bracket 15 comprises a body member 30, and a retaining plate 31. The said body member 30 is provided on its inner side with lugs 32 which carry threaded bolts 33, equipped with nuts 34. 0n the upper end of the body member 30 is a hooklike integral head 35, the bight portion of which rests in front of the vertical plane of the body member 30, and is therefore adapted to serve as a protecting fender. Said head 35 receives the forward edge of the top glass plate 10. The retaining plate 31 is apertnred to receive the bolts 33, and is held by the nuts 34 against the inner sides of the inner end portions of the front glass platesY 12, which abut at their inner-ends against the lugs 32, with the result that the said inner end portions of the glass plates 12 are strongly held betweenand are reinforced by the body member 30 and the plate 31, and are coupled together through the medium of the head 35 onthe body member 30 to the top glass plate 10.

It will be manifest'from the foregoing that the parts of our novel construction are adapted to be assembled with great facility and without the employment of tools, other than a common nut-wrench; also, that when assembled as described, the said elements forma show-case or a counter-guard that is at once eiiicient in the advantageous display of goods, finished in appearance,and susceptible of being quickly and thoroughly cleaned. Y

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is: Y

1. A metallic corner bracket including an upright body member of angular form in horizontal section adapted to bear at its lower end on supporting means and having interior lugs `and threadedV bolts thereon adapted to be interposed between the contiguous ends of a front wall and an end plate of a showcase and also having a hollow triangular head projecting laterally outward from the body member and adapted to receive a front corner of a top-plate, an apertured retaining plate adapted to be arranged on said bolts and at opposite sides of said wall and end plate to the body member, and nuts to secure the retaining plate on said bolts. Y

2. A metallic bracket comprising an upright body member adapted to bear at its lower end on supporting means and to rest at the outer side of the contiguous ends of upright plates of a show ease and having inner lugs and threaded bolts thereon to be Vinterposed-between said ends andalso having a forwardly-projecting hook-like 'head to receive the forward edge of a top plate, a retaining plate mounted on said bolts and adapted to be arranged at the'inner sides of said upright plates, and nuts to secure said` retaining plate on said bolts.

3.l An upright metallic'corner bracket for joining front, end and top plates and fixing the same relatively to each other; said corner bracket comprising an upright body member to receive the endsof front and end plates, a hollow outwardly-projecting integral head at the upper end of the body member to receive a corner of a top plate, and means connected with the inner side of the body member to retain the ends of front and end plates in said body member.

In testimony whereof we affix oui` signatures. f

CHARLES ZIEFEL. KARL J. GLOEKLER. 

